Learning from secularism

Abstract

The Uniting Church lives within a world-wide fellowship of Churches in which it will learn to sharpen its understanding of the will and purpose of God by contact with contemporary thought. Within that fellowship the Uniting Church also stands in relation to contemporary societies in ways which will help it to understand its own nature and mission.

Arguably the most immediate context in which the Uniting Church lives, together with all other Churches in Australia, is the secular society. However, as far as I am aware, there is not much serious engagement with this-indeed, one hears all sorts of statements made about the secular or 'postmodern' society in Church circles, at presbyteries and synods, board and commission meetings and in everyday talk among Church people. Usually these are woefully ill-informed and rarely rise above the cliche.